St. Paul daily globe., 1887-06-17
THE CAR BUILDERS.
A Busy Morning Session Sue
ceedeu by "a Jolly Excursion.

ceeded by a Jolly Excursion.
The master car builders met promptly
at 10 O'Clock and divided their attention
between futile attempt to keep cool
and listening to the reports read by
different chairmen. The first business
was the election of officers, the
entire ticket reported by the
nominating cOmmitte being elected
n. Forney read the report
on standards and appliances for the
safety of trainmen. The report included
some interesting and terribly significant
statistics Of the loss of life among train
men. In New York, Massachusetts,
and Michigan reports show that $50
locomotives killed 217 and injured ,226
employees in those states during 1886, and
at the same rate the 25, ,937 locomotives in
use in the United States must have
killed 1,426 men and injured 6,54S more
Mr.. Forney cites it as an important uues-
ton whether the risk and damages in
coupling cars would not be reduced
more by improvement and uniformity
OF nOn-automatic draw-gear than by the
adoption of variety of self-couplerS, or
the attempt to adopt one OF very few
kinds. MANY experienced railroad
men are of the opinion that automatic
couplerS will not reduce the
danger and the number of acci-
dents from coupling cars. There can be
no doubt that the form and construction
of n0n-autOmatic draw-gear can be i'm
proved and reduced to uniformity, and
that if this was done and if the stand
ards for their height and for the dimen-
SionS for dead-blocks recommended by
this association were generally adopted,
and if obvious safeguards, such as
handles on the ends of cars, were gener-
ally provided, that coupling cars would
be much less dangerous than it is now.
The difficulties in the way of the adop-
ton and the use of any one, or even
few kinds of couplerS, are so
almost insurmountabIe at present.
There are so many conflicting interests
arrayed against each other, that at pres
ent it seems hopeless to reconcile them,
and even if there were no such conflict.
it does not seem that any self-couplers
which could now be selected would be
sure to lessen the risk of coupling ears,
whereas it is certain that the improve
ment and reduction to uniformity of
nOn-automatic draw-gear would make
the occupation of the brakeman less
dangerous than it is now.
'Furthermore, 1t is very desirable that
the draw-gear and the ends of cars
should be uniform in construction if an
automatic coupler is adopted, so that if
the efforts of this association should be
directed to the improvement of the nom
automatic drawgear it would first be
certain to diminish the risk of coupling
cars, and next such a change will make
the adoption of automatic couDlers cas-
ier iii the future"
The report concludes by urging a
more thorough inspection of cars as to
steps, handles and ratings, and recon-
mending standard for the lOcomOtion.
proportion and construction of those
parts OF cars. The report was accepted
and the subject continued, with instruc-
tlonS to the committee to carry out it's
recommendations and report.
I. SOutherland, of the Chicago &
Grand Trunk, presented report on
standard draw gear for non-automatic
couplerS. The paper approved the
style of draw gear used on the Lake
Shore IL Michigan Southern road. The
question was ordered submitted to letter
ballot. Joseph Wood, of the Pennsyl-
vania company, read the report of the
committee on Standard freight car truck
and axle for cars of $4,000 pounds capac-
lty. The form of axle proposed by the
committee and the style of oil box and
brass wedge We're approved and a letter
ballet ordered. The report of the COM
mittee on standard sizes of lumber
for freight cars was read by William
Forsyth, of the Chicago, Burlington Il
Quincy. The sizes proposed were
adopted and submitted to letter ballot.
j. ID. Mcllwain, of the Grand Trunk.
read the report on the best form and
construction of car roofs. The subject
was continued one year. The next
meeting of the association will be held
at Alexandria Bay. Thousand Islands.
After the adjournment and lunch the car
builders and their ladies, numbering 275
people, were taken by the Minneapolis d
ST. Louis road to Lake Park, where the
City of St. Louis was in waiting, making
the tour of the lower lake. Returning to
the hotel, all elaborate luncheon was
served, and the evening was spent in
dancing in the pavilion. A number of
the delegates left on late trains
for home. About 100 will accept the
hospitalities of the Manitoba road to-
day for fishing excursion to Lake In
dependence